EFD Group - European Food Supplements Department

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Weight & Metabolism

What are dietary supplements?

Our body needs a certain amount of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and more every day. Only then can all metabolic processes run smoothly. In addition, a supply of sufficient protein is important so that all these processes can run smoothly. Carbohydrates should also be included in daily meals, even if only in smaller amounts.

Some people are unable to cover their needs and for this reason resort to a variety of nutritional supplements (NEMs). Therefore, many manufacturers lure with promises and give the impression that a good and healthy lifestyle can be achieved and realized only with the help of these supplements. Thus, we get the feeling that we are dependent on all these food supplements and that we need them especially in the present time. 

A healthy person, whose organism can properly absorb and process nutrients, is in the rarest cases dependent on food supplements, which is why many people today ask themselves the legitimate question, what these food supplements, are at all and whether they are actually useful.

Can dietary supplements really help?

The market for dietary supplements is large and includes a variety of categories. In general, dietary supplements are a good way to provide your body with all the important nutrients. Especially if you do not eat at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables, as recommended by the DGE, you need to take more vitamins and minerals to avoid deficiency symptoms.

The market for dietary supplements is very large. There one can lose already once the overview, finally each means should be sufficiently tested. Pharmacies and the Internet can help.

These statements of the manufacturers, who advertise their dietary supplements, give many people the impression that the preparations are useful and above all sensible means, with which the supply of nutrients can be covered.

However, it should be noted that these supplements can only be effective if they contain a high concentration of the active ingredients mentioned and the people taking the supplements have a deficiency, which must be compensated.

However, in case of a deficiency, it is always better to first consult a doctor, who will then prescribe the right and effective preparation, than to independently buy a dietary supplement on the market without knowing exactly which one really helps.

What are the most popular dietary supplements?

The classics among dietary supplements are vitamins and minerals. These account for two-thirds of the total dietary supplement market.

Dietary supplements with vitamin C lead the vitamin products segment, followed by multivitamins, vitamin B12, vitamins A and D, and vitamin B preparations. Smaller and rather unknown segments such as vitamins A and D as well as B vitamins have enjoyed increasing popularity, especially in recent years.

Vitamin C can be taken perfectly safely at dosages of up to 1000 mg per day. 

Among minerals, magnesium is by far the most popular, followed by calcium, other mineral supplements, and zinc and potassium. Zinc and potassium in particular have been on the rise in recent years.

Calcium is often given together with vitamin D3 against osteoporosis and is said to help especially in old age. Almost every athlete has also had experience with magnesium as a dietary supplement, because magnesium prevents calf cramps and other cramps. Athletic people have a particularly high need for it.

For anyone who is healthy and eats a healthy diet, a multivitamin is the right supplement because it supports on a whole level.